the Mass Effect Project
by mehmi
Summary: On a routine shakedown run, Commander Jane Shepard, XO of the Normandy SR-1 uncovers a sinister plot by the rogue Spectre Saren to overthrow the galaxy. A Prothean beacon, a relic from 50,000 years before burns a warning into her brain of the danger they face. But the warning is incomplete. Can Shepard figure out the Protheans meaning in time to save the galaxy?


**Prologue**

"Well? What about Shepard? She… grew up in the colonies." Ambassador Donnel Udina's voice sounded unconvinced as his pulled up the commander's file.

"She knows how tough life can be out there." Captain David Anderson replied. "Her parents were killed when slavers attacked Mindoir."

Admiral Steven Hackett leaned forward in his seat, his elbows rested upon his knees. "She proved herself during the blitz; held off enemy forces on the ground until re-enforcements arrived."

Captain Anderson nodded his agreement. "She's the only reason Elysium is still standing."

The Ambassador grunted. "We can't question her courage," he commented, as if he was still thinking the decision over.

Anderson and Hackett knew the commander was the right choice for the job. "Humanity needs a hero," Anderson stated, "And Shepard's the best we've got."

Udina looked at the two men seated in front of him. Their eyes told him all he needed to know. "I'll make the call." He told them.

In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time. They called it the greatest discovery in human history. The civilizations of the galaxy call it…

**Mass Effect**

**Log Entry 1**

"_The Acturus Prime relay is within range… initiating transmission sequence."_

I stepped away from the small porthole I had been staring out of and headed for the bridge. To anyone one else, my eyes looked determined and my lips were pursed, but I was deep in thought about the Normandy's situation. It was all a little too complicated for my liking.

"Commander," Corporal Richard Jenkins acknowledged me as he stepped out of my way. I kept my own path. I had experienced my fair share of Mass relay jumps, but this was the SSV Normandy, a prototype vessel which would herald in a whole new experience for the human race. I wanted to be at the bridge with the pilots during the Mass relay jump.

"_We are connected._"

Navigator Pressly looked up from his workspace briefly and nodded in my direction. He could see my thoughts were elsewhere and left me be. I would call on him after the jump.

"_Calculating transit mass and destination._"

I walked past the navigation stations and the crew manning them.

"_The relay is hot, re-acquiring approach vector. All stations, secure for transit._"

Another crewmember brushed past me as he moved to secure his terminal. I held out a hand as he did so he would not bump into me.

Finally, I was at the bridge. I took up a spot behind the pilot's seat. The Spectre, Nihlus was also here, watching the pilot as he maneuvered the Normandy closer to the Mass relay.

"_The board is green, approach run has begun._"

This was the part where we should grab onto something and hold on. I knew from previous posts that travelling into and from the relays was not always a smooth ride. The Normandy arced its way toward the centre of the relay as the revolving rings of the relay spun faster and faster around its element zero core.

"_Hitting the relay in three-_"

I glanced sidelong at Nihlus, noting that he didn't seem fazed by the approaching relay jump at all. His arms were crossed, and I couldn't read any emotion in his hardened face.

"_Two-_"

I prepared to brace myself for any turbulence.

"_One._" The relay's energies picked the Normandy up like at toy and blasted us past the Mass relay into space.

The relay jump to Eden Prime was very successful; neither I nor the Spectre had even flinched as the Normandy decelerated out of the relay. _You're getting good at this_, I told myself silently.

"Thrusters… check. Navigation… check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online." Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau noted while he continued typing on the Normandy's interface in front of him. "Drift… just under 1500 K." He stated proudly, relaxing in his seat.

"1500 is good," the Spectre told him. "Your captain will be pleased." He turned and left the bridge. Joker watched him go from the corner of his eye as he allowed himself a break from the interface. "I hate that guy," he grumbled.

"Nihlus gives you a compliment… so you hate him," Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko repeated as he looked over from the co-pilot's seat.

"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible. Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him onboard-" Joker paused for a moment, "Call me paranoid," he added as an afterthought, concentrating on something on the interface screen.

"You're paranoid." Kaidan agreed. "The Council helped fun this project. They have the right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the _official_ story. But only an idiot believes the official story."

Joker's words were echoing my own thoughts from before the relay jump. "They don't send Spectres on shakedown runs." I added quietly.

Joker caught what I had said. "So there's more going on here than the captain's letting on-"

A buzz from the intercom interrupted his train of thought. "_Joker. Status report._" Captain Anderson's voice commanded.

Joker straightened in his seat and got back to work. "Just cleared the Mass relay Captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid."

"_Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass _before_ we reach Eden Prime._"

"Aye aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, Sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"_He's already here, lieutenant._" Even the static of the intercom couldn't hide the captain's irritation at Joker. The pilot always spoke his mind, even when it could be classed as insubordination. Joker just shook his head, refusing to apologize.

"_Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm-room for a debriefing._" The intercom beeped its end.

"You get that, commander?" Joker asked.

I stared at the Normandy's controls, still thinking about what the captain wasn't telling us. "Great," I drawled, bringing myself back to the current. "Now he sounds pissed off." I bit back a smile. I wasn't really mad at Joker; after all, it was refreshing to hear someone in the Alliance military who was willing to speak their mind without heed of the consequences.

"Hey! Don't blame me," Joker replied, "The captain's always in a bad mood when he's talking to me."

I turned to leave before I lost control over my lips. Over my shoulder I could hear Alenko murmur, "I can't possibly imagine why," as he too got back to work.

On my way back to the communications room, I overheard Navigator Pressly saying, "I'm telling you, I just saw him! He marched by like he was on a mission," to which Engineer Adams replied over the comm, "He's a Spectre. They're always on a mission."

"And we're getting dragged right along with him!"

"Relax, Pressly. You're going to give yourself an ulcer."

I wanted Pressly's input on the mission anyway, so I stopped on my way past.

"Congratulations, Commander," he said, saluting at me. "Looks like we had a smooth run. You heading down to see the captain?" The man's balding crown and sharp eyes always gave him a stern demeanor under the lights of the Galaxy Map.

"I'm on my way to give him a status update right now." I replied, nodding towards the communications room.

"With all due respect, ma'am, maybe he'll finally tell you what we're really doing out here."

Here was another voice echoing my thoughts. "You think the Alliance brass is holding out on us?" I asked him, with just a hint of command in my voice. I wanted to hear his honest opinion.

"If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus! Spectres are _elite_ operatives, top covert agents. Why send a Spectre, a turian Spectre, on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up."

I could see where his thoughts were leading us. "Sounds like you don't trust out turian guest," I implied.

Pressly stood straight and apologized. "Sorry commander, it was just a chat I was having with Adams down in engineering. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, but you have to admit there's something odd about this mission. The whole crew feels it."

"You don't trust Nihlus." I wanted to nudge him into opening up further.

Pressly rubbed at his forehead. "I don't trust turians in general. Runs in my family. My grandfather fought in the First Contact war; lost a lot of friends when the turians hit us."

A lot of humans felt as Pressly did. I wanted these feelings kept to a minimum among the crew. No sense in starting another war. "That was thirty years ago," I reminded him. "You can't blame Nihlus for that."

"No," He sighed. "I guess not. But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre on board. _Especially_ a turian. We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command. And they _don't_ come along just to observe shakedown runs," he chuckled at his next thought. "Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action." His humour quickly dissolved into a frown. "I don't like it."

The conversation wasn't helping. I decided to turn it back to the Normandy. "What do you know about the stealth systems, Pressly?"

He smiled at me, relieved for the change of subject. "I just know, it masks our location from scans and sensors; cutting edge technology. The Normandy's the only ship with this prototype drive. But why are we fully staffed? A skeleton crew would be cheaper. Less chance of security leaks, too. Plus there's Nihlus. It's pretty obvious the shakedown run is just a cover."

Pressly had managed to steer the conversation to the shake-down run once again. If he wanted to talk about it, I decided to let him. "For what?" I asked him.

"Damned if I know, commander. We're out here on false pretences. I'm not a fan of being left in the dark."

"Do you have a problem with the captain?" I demanded quietly while thinking to myself, _might as well go all in._

"No ma'am!" was Pressly's indignant reply. "But I can't figure out what he's doing here. Captain Anderson is one of the most decorated Special Forces officers in the service. If he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-size statue of himself. You _don't_ send a soldier like that on a do-nothing mission. He's treating this shakedown run too seriously. Something big is going on."

It could have been the light, but something in his eyes seemed worried. I patted his shoulder firmly to re-assure him. "I'll see if I can get some answers when I see him," I told him.

Pressly nodded. "Good luck, commander." He told me as I moved away.

Up ahead, I saw two more of the crew idly chatting after the relay jump. "I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc. It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission." Jenkins, the young corporal I had walked past earlier. The boy had a slight lisp as he spoke, and he accentuated his every word with his hands. He was talking with Doctor Chakwas.

"That's crazy," the doctor rebuked him. "The captain's in charge here. He wouldn't take orders from a Spectre." She was a middle aged woman with salt and pepper hair, and a voice as sharp as her bobbed haircut, not that the corporal took any notice.

"Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone that gets in their way."

"Ha! You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins," the doctor scoffed.

As I approached them, Jenkins straightened from leaning against the wall and snapped off a salute. "What do you think, Commander?" He asked. "We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some _real_ action."

Doctor Chakwas scowled at him. "I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal. Your 'real action' usually ends with me patching up crewmembers in the infirmary."

I agreed with her. "You need to calm down, Corporal," I informed him. "A good soldier stays cool, even under fire."

Jenkins tried to shrug away his nerves. "Sorry Commander. But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a _Spectre_ on board."

"Only a fool goes looking for a fight, corporal. Just do your job, and follow your orders. Treat this like every other assignment that you've had and everything will work out."

Jenkins was way too excited about our upcoming assignment to calm down. "Easy for you to say, you proved yourself in the Blitz. Everybody knows what you can do. This is my big chance! I need to show the brass what I can do!" He pounded his hand with a fist.

I smiled. It wasn't the first time I'd heard this. "You're young, Corporal," I told him, "You have a long career ahead of you. Don't do something stupid to mess it up."

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'm not going to screw this up."

"What can you tell me about Nihlus?" I asked doctor Chakwas. She was known to have studied many species in her medical career, and not just their physiology.

"Turians are generally well respected by the other species. Their fleet has more patrols protecting Citadel space than any other. They don't always get on well with us, though. Some people find them," there was a momentary pause, "Too rigid. Others still blame them for the First Contact war. As for Nihlus, I haven't said more than two words to him. He usually only speaks to the captain."

"I hope we get a chance to see him in action. I heard Nihlus once took down an _entire_ enemy platoon all by himself." Jenkins interjected. "Man, I can't believe I'm on a mission with an actual Spectre!" He clearly held the Spectres in high regard.

"What do you know about the Spectres?" I ignored the corporal. I trusted the doctor's opinion.

"Only what I've heard," was her reply. "Spectre agents work directly for the Citadel Council. They usually work alone or in small groups. Spectres don't have any _official_ power, though. Basically, they're a shadow organization with a mandate to preserve and protect galactic stability."

Once again Jenkins interjected himself to the conversation. "Protect it at _any_ _cost_. Don't forget that part. Spectres operate above the law!"

"That sounds dangerous," I remarked. "How do you control agents with unlimited power?"

Chakwas thought for a moment. "I suppose the Council could revoke the Spectre status of an agent who got out of hand, at that point Citadel Security Services would take over."

Jenkins snorted. "Those C-sec grunts wouldn't stand a chance. A Spectre's worth twenty ordinary soldiers. The Spectres police themselves. An agent goes rogue, they send another agent to _take 'em down_." Jenkins used his fist and hand again to enunciate his words. "That's Spectre justice."

Doctor Chakwas was trying not to laugh, but wasn't very successful. "The corporal's confusing romantic legends with reality, commander." She said.

"Why don't we have any of our own people in there?" I asked her.

"Spectres usually come from the Council races. Like the turians. We've been trying to get a human accepted into their ranks for years now. So far, it hasn't happened."

"Hey Commander," Jenkins interjected. "You'd make a good Spectre. You're a war hero right? Held of an entire enemy fleet during the Blitz single-handed. That's the kind of talent the Spectres are looking for."

"This is all just wild speculation. The Spectres aren't interested in recruiting humans. No matter how capable."

I decided to change the subject to get Jenkins to cool off. "You're from Eden Prime aren't you Jenkins? What's it like?"

"It's very peaceful, Commander." He replied. "They've been real careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution. My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night, I used to climb this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main settlement. It was gorgeous. But when I got older, I realized it was a little too calm and quiet for me. That's why I joined the Alliance. Even paradise gets boring after a while."

"Any idea why Eden Prime was chosen as our destination?"

"Not really sure, Commander. Eden Prime's one of our most stable colonies. Good place to take the Normandy for her shakedown run I guess. No real danger there. But there's got to be something else going on. We've got a Spectre on board! That's why I'm so wound up. I can't wait for the _real_ mission to start!"

Nothing I could say was going to calm him down, and I was expected in the comm-room. "The captain's waiting for me," I said as a farewell.

The doctor nodded. "Goodbye, Commander."

As I walked to the communications room, I cleared my mind of all the questions clambering to be answered. It would do me no good to blurt it all out to the captain, I knew all would be revealed in time.

The doors opened and I saw Nihlus standing before the screen at the other side of the room. It displayed a recent image of a colony on Eden Prime. As Nihlus heard me approach, he turned around.

"Commander Shepard," He acknowledged. His voice had the strange tinny flange shared by his race. "I was hoping you would get here first. It will give us a chance to talk."

I held my suspicions back. "What about?"

The Spectre wore heavy battle armour, without the helmet. The armour made his body seem twice its original size. I could just make out the dark russet colour of his metallic exoskeleton beneath the white tribal markings covering his face, common to those of his race. The turian paced for a moment. "I'm interested in this world we're going to - Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful." He seemed only slightly interested in the topic.

"They say it's a paradise," I agreed suspiciously. "I've never been there."

"Yes… a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe." He stopped his pacing and faced me again. "Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it?" The image was still on the screen behind him, and he turned to look at it. "Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"

Was it a threat? I wasn't sure, but I knew better than to let him goad me into a reaction. "Do you know something?" I queried him, keeping my face neutral.

The turian already knew his next step. He turned to me once more and folded his arms. "You're people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?"

I was about to say I wasn't afraid, when Captain Anderson walked in. I turned my back on Nihlus as the captain remarked, "I think it's about time we told the commander what's really going on."

"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run," Nihlus said.

_No kidding, _I thought, glancing at him. "I figured there was something you weren't telling us." I said to my captain. _So has half the crew,_ I added silently.

"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime," The captain continued, ignoring the atmosphere between the Spectre and me. "That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."

I had just about had enough. "I know there is a reason you didn't tell me about this, Sir, but I don't like being kept in the dark."

Captain Anderson was tall, broad-shouldered with brown skin and eyes. Like so many on board the Normandy, his curly black hair was closely cropped to his skull. He was probably a looker back in the day, but the years had been hard on him. His face bore the evidence of his long career in the Alliance military, and his frown at times was severe. This was one of those times. "This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis." He emphasized his last sentence with a swift chopping motion from his hand.

"A research team on Eden Prime-" He continued, moving to stand beside Nihlus, "Unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean."

"I thought the Protheans vanished nearly fifty thousand years ago," I remarked, awed by the news of the discovery.

"Their legacy remains," Nihlus said. "The Mass relays, the Citadel, our ship drives: it's all based on Prothean technology."

"This is big Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."

Nihlus nodded his agreement. "Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space."

I had to admit, I was relieved to hear the beacon would be going back to the Citadel. But I still wanted to know why. "Why didn't we keep the beacon for ourselves?"

My question was answered quickly by the turian. "You humans don't have the best reputation. Some species see you as selfish, too unpredictable, too independent, even dangerous."

"Sharing that beacon will improve relations with the Council. Plus we need their scientific expertise. They know more about the Protheans than we do."

"The beacon's not the only reason why I'm here Shepard." Nihlus unfolded his arms and moved closer to me. Odd.

"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you."

When the turian reached my side, he turned to face Anderson. I glanced at him. "Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around." My joke fell on deaf ears. I knew something else was coming, the reason why I was here before them.

"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time," the captain continued, pacing past me. "Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council." His fist gently pounding his other palm emphasized his point. "The Spectres represent Citadel's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."

"You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed," Nihlus reminded me, not that I needed it. "You showed not only courage but also incredible skill. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

"Why would a turian want a human in the Spectres?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me. I was a little surprised to hear he had put me forward as a candidate; perhaps he held more respect for me as a person rather than a human.

"Not all turians resent humanity; some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy… and to the Spectres. We are an elite group. It's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job."

I looked at Anderson. "I assume this is good for the Alliance?"

He nodded. "Earth needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you."

"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together."

"You'll be in charge of the ground team," the captain informed me. "Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."

I understood. It was the next logical step for the Alliance and humanity as a whole, and while I didn't think my service history was anything special, I wasn't about to disobey my superior officers.

"I'd like to know more about Eden Prime before we touch down." If we were going to do this, I needed to know as much as possible about the situation I was about to walk into.

"It's a peaceful farming world," Anderson told me, "But it represents something much bigger. Eden Prime is one of our oldest and most successful colonies. It proved we were ready to face the challenges of settling new worlds, to forge a place for humanity beyond Earth. It symbolizes humanity's growth and evolution as a space-faring species. And after this, it will be known as the world where humans made a discovery of galactic importance."

"Why is this beacon so important?"

The Spectre answered first this time. "All advanced galactic civilization is based on Prothean technology. Even yours."

"If we hadn't discovered those Prothean ruins buried on Mars, we'd still be stuck on Earth. That was just a small data cache. Who knows what we could learn from the beacon? What if it's a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."

"Like who?" I asked.

"The Attican Traverse isn't the most stable sector of Citadel space. There are plenty of raiders and criminal groups active in the region. They might figure a Prothean beacon is worth the risk of attacking an Alliance ship. Plus, Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems."

I didn't like the scene Anderson was describing. "The Attican Travers is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, it's an act of war."

"Technically yes," Nihlus agreed. "But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this."

"The last thing the Council wants is to get dragged into a major conflict with the Terminus Systems. We have to keep this low-key." The captain's warning was bleak. This was why they needed the Normandy.

"What do you know about the Protheans?" I asked Anderson.

"Just what the taught us in school. They were a technologically-advanced species that ruled the galaxy 50,000 years ago. Then they vanished. Nobody really knows how or why, though I've heard plenty of theories. But everyone agrees galactic civilization wouldn't exist without them."

Nihlus stepped in to provide more input. "Their Citadel is the very heart of galactic society. And without their mass relays, interstellar travel would be impossible. We all owe the Protheans a great debt."

I had enough information; I was ready to get the show on the road. "Just give the word captain, I'm ready to go." I informed him.

"We should be getting close to Eden-"

Suddenly Joker's voice buzzed over the intercom, sounding worried. "_Captain, we've got a problem._"

"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson demanded.

"_Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!_"

Anderson stepped past me toward the screen behind us. "Bring it up on screen."

A video popped up on screen, replacing the Eden Prime image. Blaster fire could be heard as the transmission's owner got his bearings. In the distance an Alliance soldier let off a round of shots before heading for the soldier recording the scene.

The soldier shoved the transmission's owner to the ground, shouting "_Get down!_" and blasting another round of fire at the enemy.

The transmission flickered for a second and the three in the comm-room heard an explosion. The solder came back into view, still shooting at whoever was attacking them. The recording panned around, showing a better view of the situation, though the nearby gunfire and explosions were affecting its quality. I saw the enemy moving in the distance, though it looked like nothing I had seen before.

A third soldier's head came into view. "_We're under attack! Taking heavy casualties._" He reported for the transmission. "_I repeat: heavy casualties! We can't- Argh!..._" Once again the transmission flickered momentarily before coming back to life. "_-eed EVAC. They came out of nowhere. We need-_" Bullets pierced the soldier's armour, and he fell to the ground.

Suddenly a deep hum filled the air of the recording. The transmission panned around again to view the other soldiers, some of who were gaping in horror. The recording panned around further to capture what they were staring at. A huge ship hovered over the battle, some distance away. Energy sparked around the five protrusions which arced out from its sides; the ship was the source of the ominous hum filling the air.

Whether the soldier recording the transmission panicked or the attackers had finally caught up to them I wasn't sure, but the transmission ended moments later, reducing the screen to static.

Joker spoke through the intercom again. "_Everything cuts out after that. No com traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing._"

Captain Anderson's face was tight. "Reverse and hold it at thirty-eight point five." He told the pilot.

The transmission blipped back to the point Anderson had stated. It was a still of the ship. From the corner of my eye I saw Nihlus' mandibles flinch. Did he recognize the technology?

"Status report!" Anderson commanded. There was no time for questions anymore.

"_Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area_." With no one else to back us up, the situation was grim.

"Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated." The captain glanced over at Nihlus.

"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention." Nihlus commented. "It's our best chance to secure the beacon."

I frowned at the image on the screen. It was not something I would soon forget.

"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold," Anderson told Nihlus.

As the Spectre headed out, the captain turned to me. "Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in."

I took one last look at the ship on the screen before leaving the comm room.

We were down in the cargo hold double-checking our gear when Joker's voice buzzed once again through the intercom.

"_Engaging stealth systems,_" he reported as we got closer to the planet's surface. "_Somebody was doing some serious digging here, Captain,_" he added.

Captain Anderson turned to us. "Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander. Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site."

"What about survivors, Captain?" Alenko asked. There was a note of uneasiness in his voice.

The cargo began to open. Captain Anderson had to raise his voice to be heard over the sound. "Helping survivors is a secondary objective! The beacon's your top priority!"

"_Approaching drop point one._"

Jenkins looked over at Nihlus, packing his gear up some distance from us. "Nihlus? You're coming with us?"

"I move faster on my own," the Spectre replied, testing the sight on his weapon. Then without another word he ran for the open cargo door and jumped down to the world below.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead," Anderson informed us. "He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission; otherwise, I want radio silence."

"We've got his back, Captain!" I shouted over the blasting wind from outside.

He nodded curtly. "The mission's yours now, Shepard. Good luck!"

Jenkins, Alenko and I turned to face the cargo door as Anderson left. Joker flew us in close to the drop point – a cleared zone just outside of the beacon's last known location. "_We are approaching drop point two._"

The ship rocked as he dropped the Normandy in to hover just above the ground. The three of us jumped down to the ground below. I scanned the horizon for enemies; Kaidan commented, "Ship perimeter secure, Commander!"

Nihlus' voice blipped over our comms. "_This place got hit hard, Commander. Hostiles everywhere. Keep your guard up._"

We moved swiftly but cautiously, taking in our surroundings as we moved north toward a path, with a creek flowing in parallel. Strange creatures floated above the creek, harmless native fauna not even bothered with the scene around them.

"What the hell are those?" Kaidan asked as one floated by.

"Gas bags." Jenkins informed him. "Don't worry – they're harmless."

A pair of human remains lay upon a rock to the right of the path. They were hardly more than charred husks. "Oh god," Jenkins murmured as we passed them. "What happened here?" I could tell the attack on Eden Prime was hitting home for him. The best thing we could do right now was to keep moving.

More bodies were scattered up the path we followed. We crested the hill to see a small clearing strewn with boulders. The far end veered to the right and disappeared down the hill. I raised my closed fist to signal a halt as we reached the edge. I frowned; the clearing was empty, but something felt off.

I signaled for Jenkins to advance, using the boulders as coverage. The corporal was too eager, and slipped out from behind the cover of the boulders to race for the other side of the clearing. Three sentry drones popped out from behind boulders and gunned him down before he had a chance to react. I leaped from my position and fired at the sentry drones, as did Alenko. When they were down, I raced out to Jenkins' body.

I kept watch as Alenko knelt down beside the corporal's body. There were no signs of life. He shut the corporal's eyes with his hand and stood up. "Ripped right through his shields," He told me, shaking his head, "Never had a chance."

"We'll see that he receives a proper service once the mission is complete," I reassured the lieutenant. "But I need you to stay focused."

"Aye-aye, ma'am."

Keeping behind the boulders as much as we could, we continued on through the clearing. More sentry drones attacked on the other side, one equipped with rockets. They still went down easily as we shot from the protection of rocky outcroppings.

Nihlus' voice spoke over our comms. "_I've got some burned out buildings here, Shepard. A _lot_ of bodies. I'm going to check it out. I'll try to catch up with you at the dig site._"

The path started back up on the other side of the clearing, facing south. Further down the path there were more drones. We took them out and continued on. As the path opened up once more, I could hear gunfire. I took up position behind a tree and waited, listening for the location.

Below us a trooper ran toward us, trying to escape the sentry drones chasing her. Her rear shields flared as they absorbed the bullets hitting her. She whipped out her gun as she skidded to the ground, flipping around and shooting down one of the drones. Beyond her, a man was being held down over a strange device by some sort of synthetic being, while another stood guard. The trooper tried to stand, but she was too slow. The device opened, and a metal spike sprung into the sky, impaling the civilian. As she began running toward us, the beings turned. She hid behind a boulder and readied her weapon.

I stormed toward the trooper, providing cover fire. I threw one with biotics, toppling him over for Kaidan to take out, and finished the other off with my shotgun.

"Thanks for your help, Commander," the trooper breathed as I approached. "I didn't think I was going to make it. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. You the one in charge here ma'am?" She sounded exhausted.

"Are you wounded, Williams?" I asked. Up close I could see she was of the soldiers in the recording from earlier aboard the Normandy.

"A few scrapes and burns. Nothing serious. The others weren't so lucky." She shrugged her shoulders and began to pace. "Oh, man... We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit," She pointed away from us. "We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since."

"Where's the rest of your squad?"

"We tried to double back to the beacon. But we walked into an ambush. I don't think any of the others… I think I'm the only one left." Her face looked bleak.

"This isn't your fault, Williams," I told her. "You couldn't have done anything to save them."

"Yes ma'am." She took a breath. "We held our position as long as we could. Until the geth overwhelmed us."

"The geth haven't been seen outside of the Veil in nearly 200 years," Alenko interjected. "Why are they here now?"

Williams shrugged again. "They must have come for the beacon. The dig site is close. Just over that rise." She pointed away again. "It might still be there."

We had to get to the beacon, but without Jenkins we were at a disadvantage. "We could use your help, Williams," I suggested.

"Aye-aye, ma'am. It's time for payback."

Before we left, I wanted to know more on the current situation. "Describe what happened leading up to the attack."

"We were sent out a couple of nights ago from the main colony to secure the area. Seemed like a routine patrol until the geth hit us. We never knew they were coming."

"What happened to the researchers at the dig site?"

"I don't know. They set up camp near the beacon. The 232 was with them. Maybe their unit fared better than mine."

"What else do you know about the geth?" I asked.

"Just what I remember from history class back in school. They're synthetics. Non-organic life-forms with limited AI programming created by the quarians a few centuries ago. They were supposed to be a source of cheap labour, but ended up turning on the quarians and drove them into exile. After that, they just kind of disappeared behind the Perseus Veil. Nobody's really heard much from them since."

"Tell me everything you know about the beacon."

"They were doing some digging out here to extend the monorail and expand the colony. A few weeks ago they unearthed some Prothean ruins… and the beacon. Suddenly, every scientific expert in the colony was interested. _That's_ when they brought us in to secure the site. I don't know much about the beacon itself. But I heard one of the researchers say this could be the biggest scientific discovery of the century."

Maybe she had seen Nihlus pass this way. "Have you seen a turian Spectre around here?"

"There aren't any turians on Eden Prime. None that I've ever met. Not sure I'd be able to tell if one was a Spectre anyway." She grinned.

"If you saw this guy you'd know," Alenko told her. "Carries enough firepower to wipe out a whole platoon. Luckily, he's on our side."

"Sorry, like I said no turians."

We had to go secure the beacon. "Move out," I commanded with a nod.

"The beacon's at the far end of this trench," Williams informed us as I started forward. Down the way there were more of those strange spike devices, with bodies impaled on them. I could see the Prothean ruins ahead of us. There were also more geth. We took cover, shooting at them as we made our way forward. There were four in total, and we took them out efficiently.

"This is the dig site," Williams commented as we entered circular ruins. "The beacon was right here. It must have been moved."

Alenko asked, "By who? Our side? Or the geth?"

"Hard to say," she replied. "Maybe we'll know more after we check out the research camp."

"You think anyone got out of here alive?" I glanced around.

"If they were lucky. Maybe hiding up in the camp. It's just on the top of this ridge. Up the ramps."

Nihlus came over the comms as we left. "_Change of plans, Shepard. There's a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there._"

It was a good plan. We climbed the pathway to the top of the ridge. I could see black smoke billowing from over the horizon.

"Looks like they hit the camp hard," Williams commented as we reached the top.

Alenko agreed with her. "It's a good place for an ambush. Keep your guard up."

More spikes with impaled bodies were ahead. Something was wrong with the bodies, however. They no longer looked human. Suddenly one of the spikes retracted. Movement rippled through the body.

"Oh god, they're still alive!" Alenko exclaimed quietly.

The body lifted itself off the device slowly, as if waking for the first time.

"What did the geth do to them?" Williams' voice echoed my thoughts. I readied my weapon and waited to see what the thing would do. It stood for a moment, as if to gather its bearings, and then ran towards us, arms outstretched. When I shot at it, the other two spikes retracted, letting their captives free. As we eliminated them, they exploded blue energy.

The researcher's quarters were close by. As we approached, Williams said, "That door. It's closed. Security lock is engaged."

Guessing that any survivors might have locked themselves inside and away from the geth, I manually overrode the lock.

"Humans! Thank the Maker!" a researcher inside exclaimed, wringing her hands.

A second researcher came out of the shadows, whispering, "Hurry! Close the door! Before they come back!"

"Don't worry. We'll protect you," I informed them.

"Thank you. I think we'll be okay now," said the first researcher. She looked around. "It looks like everyone's gone."

"You're Dr. Warren, the one in charge of the excavation." Williams said. "Do you know what happened to the beacon?"

"It was moved to the spaceport this morning," the doctor replied. "Manuel and I stayed behind to help pack up the camp. When the attack came, the marines held them off long enough for us to hide." She took a breath. "They gave their lives to save us."

"No one is saved," Manuel interrupted. "The age of humanity is ended. Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain."

"What else can you tell me about the attack?" I asked them.

Doctor Warren shook her head. "It all happened so fast. One second we were gathering up our equipment. The next we were hiding in the shed while the geth swarmed over the camp."

Manuel interrupted again. "Agents of the destroyers. Bringers of darkness. Heralds of our extinction."

"We could hear the battle outside. Gunfire. Screams. I thought it would never end. Then, everything went quiet. We just sat there, too afraid to move. Until you came along."

I wondered if Nihlus had come this way. "Did you notice a turian in the area?" I asked.

"I saw him," Manuel whispered eerily. "The prophet. Leader of the enemy. He was here, before the attack."

"That's impossible," Alenko reminded me, "Nihlus was with us on the Normandy before the attack. He couldn't have been here."

"I-I'm sorry," Doctor Warren apologized. "Manuel's still a bit… unsettled. We haven't seen your turian. We've been hiding in here since the attack."

Saying he was unsettled seemed like an understatement, but I let it drop. "Can you tell me anything about the beacon?" I asked instead.

"It's some type of data module from a galaxy-wide communications network. _Remarkably_ well-preserved. It could be the greatest scientific discovery of our lifetime! Miraculous new technologies. Groundbreaking medical advances. Who knows what secrets are locked inside?"

"We have unearthed the heart of evil," Manuel added quietly. "Awakened the beast. Unleashed the darkness."

"Manuel, please, this isn't the time."

"What's wrong with your assistant?" I demanded finally. Something definitely wasn't right with him.

"Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit… unstable. Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."

"Is it madness to see the future?" The man in question asked. "To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand there is no escape? No hope?" He shook his head. "No, I am not mad. I'm the only sane one left!"

"I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack," Warren told me.

I looked to the Gunnery Chief. "Williams, take us to the spaceport."

"You can't stop it," Manuel cried, "Nobody can stop it. Night is falling. The darkness of eternity."

Doctor Warren turned to her colleague. "Hush, Manuel. Go lie down. You'll feel better once the medication kicks in."

We left them to wait for reinforcements, and followed Williams' directions to the spaceport.

_Crouched low and weapon drawn, the Spectre Nihlus approached the spaceport stealthily. He took cover briefly behind a wall, bracing for combat. When he stepped out, he saw a familiar face. He lowered his weapon. _

"Saren_," He was shocked to see a fellow turian Spectre standing before him._

_The turian Saren turned around. "_Nihlus_." His voice was low as he approached Nihlus. _

"This isn't your mission Saren,_" Nihlus told him. "_What are you doing here?_"_

"The Council thought you could use some help on this one._" He laid a hand briefly on the Spectre's shoulder as he walked past._

_Nihlus looked over the spaceport, admitting, "_I wasn't expecting to find the geth here. The situation's bad._"_

"Don't worry_." The other turian reassured him, turning to point a pistol at the back of Nihlus' head. "_I've got it under control_."_

An explosion rang out; sounding like it came from the direction of the spaceport. We double-timed it down the road.

"What is that? Off in the distance." Alenko called out. A giant ship, the one from the transmission, hovered above the horizon beyond the spaceport, and red energy emanated from it.

"It's a ship." Williams replied. "Look at the size of it!"

I motioned for silence as we took up cover once more. The spaceport was filled with geth. I spotted a fuel canister, in the middle of the geth milling around, and shot it. The explosion took them out, leaving only the husks to contend with. As they rushed towards the three of us, we took them down.

There was another locked shed nearby. I headed over and overrode the lock. Three farmers emerged, two men and a woman. One of the men stepped ahead of the others with his hands raised, shouting, "Everybody stay calm out there. We're coming out. We're not armed."

"Is it safe? Are they gone?" The woman asked.

"You're okay now." I reassured, "Nobody's going to hurt you."

"Those things were crawling all around the shed." The first farmer said. "They would have found us for sure. We owe you our lives."

The woman rubbed her head. "I- I still can't believe it. When we saw that ship I thought it was all over!"

"It showed up right before the attack. Knew it was trouble the second I saw it. So we made a break for the sheds."

"Tell me everything you remember about the attack." I ordered him calmly.

"The three of us were working the crops when that ship showed up. We just saw it and ran. I don't know what happened to the rest of the crew." He was wringing his hands.

"They were by the garage," The second man pointed to the spaceport. "Over near the spaceport. Right where that ship came down. No way they survived."

"You don't know that!" the woman cried out. "We survived. If they made it to the garage, they could've had a fighting chance!"

"What else can you tell me about the ship you saw?" I asked them.

The leader answered for the others. "I was too busy running to get a clear look at it. I think it landed over near the spaceport."

The woman urged, "Tell them about the noise, Cole. That awful noise."

Cole, the leader, said "It was emitting some kind of signal as it descended. Sounded like the shriek of the damned. Only it was coming from inside your own head."

A jamming signal perhaps? "It was probably trying to block communications," I mused aloud.

"Whatever it was, felt like it was tearing right through my skull. Almost made it impossible to think."

"Do you know anything about the Prothean beacon they dug up?"

"We're just farmers. We heard they found something out there, but it never really mattered to us. Not until now."

I glanced over at Williams, who was gazing at the spaceport.

"Hey, Cole." The other male murmured, "We're just a bunch of farmers. These guys are soldiers. Maybe we should give them the stuff."

"Geez, Blake. You gotta learn when to shut up!"

I looked back to Cole. "You have something to tell me, Cole?"

His eyes widened in alarm, and he held up a hand. "Some guys at the spaceport were running a smuggling ring. Nothing major. In exchange for a cut of the profits, we let them store packages in our sheds."

"You're breaking the law, Cole." I frowned at him.

"We're not hurting anybody!" He shook his head. "Hell, most of the time, I don't even know what's in the packages. I just thought there might be something we could use." He wrung his hands again. "I found a pistol. Figured it would come in handy if those things came back. But you'll probably get more use out of it than we will."

"We're risking our lives to save this colony. You sure there's nothing else in here that could help us out?" I demanded.

"Yeah there's one more thing. I was going to sell it after this was over. But you probably deserve it more than I do."

I shook my head. It wasn't about what anyone deserved. The situation on Eden Prime was bad, and we needed all the help we could get. He grabbed the package, a combat sensor and a Stinger pistol, and handed it over to me.

The information about a smuggling ring had sparked William's anger. "Who's your contact at the spaceport, Cole? What's his name?" She demanded hotly.

"He's not a bad guy. I don't want to get him into trouble. Besides, I'm not a snitch!"

"He might have something to do with this whole attack, Cole." I warned him. "We need his name. It's important."

"Yeah, okay," the farmer sighed. "You're right. His name's Powell. Works the docks at the spaceport. If he's still alive."

I nodded my gratitude. "I have to go."

"Good luck," he replied as we moved away.

Parts of the spaceport were on fire. As we approached the ramps leading into the port, a body caught my eyes. Lieutenant Alenko stepped over to investigate. "Commander. It's Nihlus." He told me. It explained the radio silence.

"Something's moving!" Williams said suddenly. "Over behind those crates!"

We drew our guns and aimed at the crates.

"Wait! Don't- don't shoot! I'm one of you! I'm human." A disheveled man slipped out from behind the crates.

"Sneaking up on us like that nearly got you killed!" I cried, holstering my weapon once more.

"I… I'm sorry. I was hiding. From those creatures. My name's Powell. I saw what happened to that turian. The other one shot him." He was the man Cole mentioned.

Other turian? "I need to know how Nihlus died." I said slowly, calmly. He could have been involved in the whole thing.

Powell was stuttering slightly in fear. "T-The other one got here first. H-He was waiting when your friend showed up. H-He called him Saren. I think they knew each other. Your friend seemed to relax. He let his guard down… and Saren killed him. Shot him right in the back. I-I'm just lucky he didn't see me behind the crates."

"We were told a Prothean beacon was brought to the spaceport. What happened to it?"

"It's over on the other platform. Probably where that guy Saren was headed. He hopped on the cargo train right after he killed your friend. I knew that beacon was trouble. Everything's gone to hell since we found it. First that damn mother ship showed up. Then the attack. They killed everyone. Everyone! If I hadn't been behind the crates I'd be dead, too!"

"How come you're the only one who survived? Why didn't anyone else try to hide behind the crates?"

Powell leaned forward guiltily. "They never had a chance. I… I was already behind the crate when the attack started."

"Wait a minute," Alenko interrupted. "You were hiding behind the crates before the attack?"

"I…" the worker hesitated. "Sometimes I need a nap to get through my shift. I sneak off behind the crates to grab forty winks where the supervisor can't find me."

"You survived because you're lazy?" Williams asked incredulously.

"If you hadn't snuck off for that nap you'd probably be dead just like all the others." I murmured. Powell's laziness made me sick, but we needed the information he could provide. It was fortunate he had survived.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I don't really want to think about it." He grumbled.

"You're Cole's contact here on the docks. For the smuggling ring."

His eyes widened, and he dismissed my words with a wave of his hand. "What? No! I mean… w-what does it matter now? So I'm a smuggler? Who cares? My supervisor's dead. The entire crew's dead. It doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Anything hidden nearby that we could use against the geth?"

"A shipment of grenades came through last week," he informed us. "Nobody notices if a few small pieces go missing from the military orders."

This riled Williams up bad. "You greedy son of a bitch!" She shouted, stabbing a finger through the air toward him. "We're out here trying to protect your sorry ass and all you can think about is how you can rip us off?!"

"I never thought you'd actually need those grenades! Who'd want to attack Eden Prime? We're just a bunch of farmers! How was I supposed to know?"

I grabbed William's arm gently, telling her, "Forget about him. He's not worth it."

She squinted angrily at the worker. "You're lucky the commander's here, Powell. Hand over those grenades."

Powell rummaged around for the grenades and handed them to Williams. "They're yours. Take them. My smuggling days are over. I swear."

Though he said it, I could tell he was still holding back on us. I shook my head. "A lot of marines died here, Powell. Those grenades could have come in handy. If I were you, I'd think of some way to make it up to them."

"Yeah. O-Okay. There is something else I was saving. Could be worth a fortune. Experimental technology. Top of the line." He grabbed something from his pockets and passed it to me. "Take it. I don't need it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Really. I'm sorry."

"Tell me about the geth attack."

"It was quick." He leaned on the crate in front of him. "One minute, that ship was descending. The next, those geth were swarming over the platform, thousands of them. They must have been inside that mother ship. They shot at anything that moved. It was a massacre."

"Tell me about this 'mother ship' you saw."

"I-I've never seen anything like it before. It- It was huge. Landed over near that platform. The whole place got dark as it came down." He paused to take a breath. "And- And it was making this noise, this- this sound that bored right into your brain. That's what woke me up. The attack came a few minutes later."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the beacon?" I asked.

"They brought it here this morning. We loaded it up onto the train and shipped it to the other platform." His voice got quiet. "Hard to believe that was only a few hours ago. Feels like a whole other life."

I looked to my teammates. "We need to find that beacon before it's too late." I told them.

"Take the cargo train," Powell said, pointing to the east. "That's where the other turian went." He stood back up and looked around. "I… I can't stay here. I need to get away from all this." He wandered away from us.

The geth were out in force as we headed for the cargo train. Alenko threw the closest one with his biotics into two others. Williams moved ahead of us, spraying bullets from her assault rifle into the oncoming enemy. Slowly we gained ground, Ashley in front and us two biotics in the back, mopping up anything left. The cargo train was little more than open platforms connected to a rail system, and it was filled with geth. These were tougher ones than before, and deployed energy shields. Still we pushed forward, taking cover behind half-walls that segmented the train, gaining ground slowly. Eventually we made it to the other side of thecargo train, with two geth left. Alenko threw one into the other, and I gunned them down with my shotgun.

I kicked the limp bodies of the geth over the edge, and started the train.

_Saren strode toward a geth trooper. "Set the charges," he commanded. "Destroy the entire colony. Leave no evidence that we were here." With that done he approached the beacon, which was emanating a strange green glow. A force lifted his body up into the air, filling his mind with images. _

As the train reached the second platform, we saw a geth trooper look up from a device, before heading up a set of stairs. We readied our weapons, waiting for the train to stop so we could give chase.

"Demolition charges!" Alenko informed me as we stepped off. "The geth must have planted them."

I ran over to the device and pulled of a panel to expose the interface.

"Hurry – we need to find them all and shut them down!" Williams cried. _No pressure_, I thought as I looked over the interface. Agonizing moments ticked by as I worked on an override for the device. I heard a click- the timer on the device stopped. I looked at my radar: it was signaling three more devices nearby. Great.

We traced the movements of the geth trooper up the stairs and over catwalks to the other side of the platform. More geth attacked. I indicated to Williams and Alenko to move ahead of me and provide cover fire as I went for the second charge. The interface was the same, but the override took time to install. Another click signaled the override's success; I headed for the third charge. The geth _really_ didn't want us to stop the charges: they were throwing everything they had at us. Snipers ripped through William's shields and get her in the arm. She ignored the wound, continuing to provide cover as I disabled the next charge. Alenko and Williams took out the last geth as I heard the third click. I stormed toward the last device and installed the override. Click.

With the demolition charged disarmed, I let Alenko and Williams catch their breath. Williams checked out her wound, a bullet had pierced her heavy armour and passed through muscle; she applied medigel to the wound.

Once they were set, I signaled to keep moving. Through an archway was another set of stairs. At the bottom more geth and husks greeted us. We kindly put them down.

When there were no more signs of geth, we looked around. The scene beyond the platform's railing was a little horrifying.

"My god," Williams gasped, awed by the sight before us. "It's like someone dropped a bomb."

The land in front of us was charred and smoking. Molten rock burned in strips across the ground.

"That must be where the geth ship landed." Alenko murmured.

I turned away and radioed the Normandy. "Normandy, the beacon in secure. Request immediate evac."

Behind me, Alenko and Williams were looking over the beacon. I could hear Alenko say, "This is amazing. Actual working Prothean technology. Unbelievable!"

"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up," Williams replied. She paced back towards me.

"Something must have activated it."

Joker told me the Normandy's ETA over the comm. "Roger, Normandy." I confirmed. "Standing by."

I turned to speak with Williams. Before I could say anything, a wave of green energy blasted forth from the beacon. Alenko was slowly being dragged toward it against his will. I pushed Williams out of the way and dashed to the lieutenant, leaping up and tackling him back before throwing him out of the way with the help of my biotics.

The force grabbed me and pulled me high into the air.

"Shepard!" I heard Alenko cry distantly as images seared into my mind.

"No! Don't touch her! It's too dangerous!"

The pain was overwhelming as the images burned themselves into my memory. They did not make any sense; they flickered and changed too fast for my mind to concentrate on any one image. The energy from the beacon kept increasing as the images continued, until the beacon exploded, sending me flying backwards. The last thing I remember seeing was lieutenant Alanko breaking from Williams' hold and running to my side. I blacked out.

_Saren sat in the pilot's seat, patiently awaiting news about the colony. An asari matriarch approached from behind, and cleared her throat._

"_We identified the ship that touched down on Eden Prime." She told the turian. "The Normandy. A human Alliance vessel. It was under the command of Captain Anderson."_

_Anderson, a familiar name to the old Spectre. _

_The asari continued, "They managed to save the colony."_

"_And the beacon?" Saren demanded quietly. _

"_One of the humans may have used it."_

_Her response angered the turian. He leaped from his seat with a roar, sending a com terminal flying with his fist, and overturning the seat as he stalked toward the Matriarch. He grabbed her calm face with his hand and drew it close to his. "This human must be eliminated." He growled at her, letting go as he regained his composure and walked away._

My head was pounding. I inhaled a deep breath and cracked open my eyes.

"Doctor? Doctor Chakwas? I think she's waking up." That was Alenko's voice I could hear. I heaved my body up into a sitting position, which made the pounding worse. I cradled my head with a hand. Footsteps approached me; I looked up to see Doctor Chakwas smiling at me.

"You had us worried there, Shepard. How are you feeling?" She asked.

I rubbed my eyes with my fingers. "Minor throbbing," I informed her, downplaying my headache. "Nothing serious. How long was I out?"

"About fifteen hours," She replied. "Something happened down there with the beacon, I think."

Alenko interrupted us. "It's my fault. I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way."

"You had no way to know what would happen," I reassured him. He smiled slightly.

"Actually," the doctor spoke, "We don't even know if that's what set it off. Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out."

I looked from Alenko to the doctor quizzically.

"The beacon exploded." Alenko explained. "A system overload, maybe. The blast knocked you cold. Williams and I had to carry you back here to the ship."

"I appreciate it," I smiled at him.

The pounding in my head was lessening. As I stood up and stretched, Doctor Chakwas continued. "Physically, you're fine. But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves. I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming."

Dreaming? Maybe. "I saw-" I murmured, frowning as I tried to recall the vision. "I'm not sure what I saw. Death. Destruction. Nothing's really clear."

"Hmmm. I better add this to my report. It may- Oh, Captain Anderson."

We all looked over to see the captain walking in. "How's our XO holding up, Doctor?" He asked.

"All the readings look normal. I'd say the commander's going to be fine."

His face was somber. "Glad to hear it. Shepard, I need to speak with you – in private."

Alenko saluted. "Aye, aye, Captain. I'll be in the mess if you need me."

Doctor Chakwas followed the lieutenant out the door. Once they had left, the captain said, "Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Commander. You sure you're okay?"

I wasn't okay, I was angry. Upset. "Intel dropped the ball, sir." I complained. "We had no idea what we were walking into down there. That's why things went to hell."

His response was patient. "The geth haven't been outside the Veil in two centuries, Commander. Nobody could have predicted this." He was right, but it didn't change how I felt.

"I don't like soldiers dying under my command," I told him.

Anderson tried to reassure me. "Jenkins wasn't your fault. You did a good job, Shepard."

"Did we leave Gunnery Chief Williams back on Eden Prime?"

"I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy."

I nodded my agreement. "Williams is a good soldier. She deserves it."

"Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you. That's why I added her to our crew."

I sighed, letting go of my anger. "You said you needed to see me in private, Captain?" I asked.

The captain crossed his arms behind his back. "I won't lie to you, Shepard. Things look bad. Nihlus is dead. The beacon was destroyed and geth are invading. The council's going to want answers."

"I didn't do anything wrong, Captain." I told him, echoing his previous statement. "Hopefully, the Council can see that."

Anderson paced away from me. "I'll stand behind you and your report, Shepard. You're a damned hero in my books. That's not why I'm here. It's Saren, that other turian." He looked away from me. "Saren's a Spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue."

The captain turned back to face me. "A rogue Spectre's trouble. Saren's dangerous. And he hates humans."

"Why?" I asked.

"He thinks we're growing too fast, taking over the galaxy. A lot of aliens think that way. Most of them don't do anything about it. But Saren has allied himself with the geth. I don't know how. I don't know why. I only know it had something to do with that beacon. You were there just before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?"

I leaned back against the medical bay and folded my arms. "Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of vision."

"A vision? A vision of what?"

What could I tell him? I had no idea what it had meant. "I saw synthetics. Geth, maybe. Slaughtering people. Butchering them."

"We need to report this to the Council, Shepard," Anderson informed me.

"What are we going to tell them?" I scoffed. "I had a bad dream?"

"We don't know what information was stored in that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war! He has the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of geth at his command. And he won't be stopped until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy!"

"I'll find some way to take him down." I said, determined.

"It's not that easy. He's a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side."

I understood. "We prove Saren's gone rogue and the Council will revoke his Spectre status."

Captain Anderson nodded. "I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel. We should be getting close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us in to dock."

I nodded, and Anderson left. I made my way out of the med-bay, and saw lieutenant Alenko leaning against the wall of the elevator. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Commander," he said as I approached him. "Losing Jenkins was hard on the crew. And I'm glad we didn't lose you, too."

"Things were pretty rough down there," I commented.

"Yeah, you never get used to seeing dead civilians. Doesn't seem right, somehow. But at least you stopped Saren from wiping out the whole colony."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"We're marines." He said, standing a little straighter. Was he flustered? "We stick together. I'm just sorry we lost Jenkins."

"Yeah… I wish I could've done something to save him." I replied.

"I was there. You did _everything_ right. It was just bad luck." Of course, Alenko was correct. I had to stop dwelling on what I might have done wrong. "It's been a hell of a shakedown cruise," he continued. "Our first mission ends with one Spectre killing another." He shook his head. "The Citadel Council's not gonna be happy about that. Probably use it to lever more concessions out of the Alliance." It seemed to me like he'd been around, not a lot of marines caught on to politics.

"You've got a good grasp of the situation," I commented, curious about getting to know him. "You a career man?"

"Yeah. A lot of biotics are. We're not restricted, but we sure don't go undocumented. May as well get a paycheck for it." Being biotically trained myself, I understood what he meant.

"Besides, my father served." Alenko said. "Made him proud when I enlisted. Eventually. But is that why you're here? Because of your family?"

Maybe he didn't know about my past. That was rare. "My family were homesteaders on Mindoir," I told him. "I'm the only one left." Before he could apologies, I added, "But I've moved beyond that."

"Ah, that's right. The Blitz. I imagine that bought you any post in the fleet." He paused, lowering his voice. "Word is we're heading for the Citadel, ma'am. Can you tell me why?"

I answered with, "The captain hopes the Ambassador can get an audience with the Council. Tell them what Saren's been up to."

"Makes sense. They'd probably like to know he's not working for them anymore. Whatever happens, we'll be ready. Commander."

I nodded a farewell and moved on. Williams was over on the other side of the mess. I went over to see how she was holding up.

"I'm glad you're okay, Commander. The crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins." She said.

"Jenkins was a valuable part of this crew," I told her.

Williams looked down at her hands. "Part of me feels guilty over what happened. If Jenkins was still alive, I might be here."

"You're a good soldier, Williams," I reassured her with a pat on her arm. "You belong on the Normandy."

She inhaled a deep breath. "Thanks, Commander. That means a lot from you. I've never met anyone who was awarded the Star of Terra."

Embarrassed, I shrugged my shoulders. Seems word had gotten around. I didn't really like talking about my achievements, so I changed the subject. "Things were pretty rough down there. Are you okay?"

Williams hung her head. After a moment of silence, she said, "I've seen friends die before. Comes with being a marine. But to see my whole unit wiped out…" She looked back up at me. "And you never get used to seeing dead civilians. But things would have been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up."

"We couldn't have done it without you Williams," I told her.

"Thanks, Commander." Williams didn't sound convinced. "I have to admit," she continued, "I was a little worried about being assigned to the Normandy. It's nice when someone makes you feel welcome."

I smiled reassuringly. "I think you're going to fit in here just fine, Williams."

"Thanks, Commander."

From there I headed to the upper deck. I bumped into Doctor Chakwas on the stairs. I stopped her with a hand.

"Yes, Commander? Is there something you need?" She asked.

"Tell me Doctor, what do you know about Captain Anderson?" I asked her quietly. I wanted to get an idea of what the man was like.

"I've served with him for a few tours now," she replied. "He knows when to let thins slide and when to crack the whip. The crew knows he's seen pretty much anything they'll ever run into. And he cares about the people under his command."

Her words confirmed what I already knew about him. I nodded my head. "Thanks. I should go."

"Goodbye, Commander." She murmured as I left.

Navigator Pressly smiled over at me as I entered the CIC. "I'm glad you're okay, Commander," he commented as I passed. "Losing Jenkins was hard enough on the crew." I thanked him and continued on to the cockpit.

As I entered Joker said, "Good timing, Commander. I was just about to bring us into the Citadel. See that taxpayer money at work."

I laced my hands behind my back and looked up through the windscreen. Joker piloted us towards the Mass relay, and jumped us smoothly to the Widow system of the Serpent Nebula, home of the Citadel. As we banked through the gas and dust clouds Of the Serpent Nebula surrounding the Citadel, Williams and Kaidan entered.

"Look at the size of that ship!" Williams gasped, pointing out something in the side window. I headed over to her and looked out. The Asari ship Williams was indicating at was huge.

"The Ascension." Kaidan commented, sitting down in the copilot's seat. "Flagship of the Citadel fleet."

"Well, size isn't everything," Joker replied.

"Why so touchy, Joker?" Williams asked from her viewpoint.

He replied, "I'm just saying you need firepower, too."

"Look at that monster! Its main gun could rip through the barriers on any ship in the Alliance fleet."

"Good thing it's on our side, then." Alenko murmured.

Joker was grinning. "Citadel Control, this is SSV Normandy requesting permission to land."

A turian voice came over the comm. "_Stand by for clearance, Normandy._" There was a moment's pause. "_Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator._"

I moved back to stand behind the pilot's seat. Joker glanced at me briefly with a smile. "Roger, Alliance Tower. Normandy out."

"_Normandy, this is Alliance Tower. Please proceed to dock 422._" This voice was human, and male.

Joker brought the Normandy into dock, and we disembarked. Captain Anderson took Williams, Alenko and I straight to the human embassy office. Ambassador Udina was in the middle of a holovid conference with the Council when we arrived, and he was very upset. Anderson directed us over to the balcony outside, so that we didn't interfere. Williams and Alenko leaned against the balcony wall, looking out on the scenery below. I paced impatiently. We could still here what was going on.

"This is an outrage!" Ambassador Udina shouted. "The Council would step in if the geth attacked a turian colony!"

It was the Salarian Councilor who responded. "The turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador."

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse," the Asari Councilor added.

"What about Saren?" Udina demanded. "You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!"

"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador." The Turian Councilor replied.

The Asari Councilor held up her hand to stop any animosity. "Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before."

The conference was over. The holovid closed down, and Ambassador Udina stalked out to the balcony. "Captain Anderson," he grated out. "I see you brought half your crew with you." I stopped pacing and stood at ease beside the captain.

"Just the ground team from Eden Prime." Anderson told him. "In case you had any question."

The ambassador wasn't pleased. "I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?"

"They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience."

Udina folded his arms, still frowning at Anderson. "They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason." He glanced over at me.

"Saren's a threat to every human colony out there." I stated. "He needs to be stopped. The Council _has_ to listen to us!"

"Settle down, Commander." Udina grunted. "You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!"

"That's Saren's fault, not hers!" Captain Anderson told him.

"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep _you_ out of the Spectres." He looked from me back to the captain. "Come with me, Captain. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard – you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in."

With that, he led Anderson away. Williams came to stand beside me, shaking her head. "And that's why I hate politicians," she commented quietly. I agreed completely.

Heading back through the office, a message flashed on a computer terminal. I glanced down at it, it was a patrol report from the Alliance fleet. "_Captain Hendrikson reported some unusual energy reading during a patrol of the Argos Rho cluster,_" it read. "_She had particular concerns about the Hydra System but was recalled before her team could investigate further. No patrols are scheduled for that sector. Do we want to send in a recon team?_" I had a copy of the message sent to my inbox, and left the office.


End file.
